Reimagining Education: One school, one classroom, one student at a time Charter schools are independently-operated public schools that have the freedom to design classrooms that meet their students’ needs. All charter schools operate under a contract with a charter school authorizer – usually a nonprofit organization, government agency, or university – that holds them accountable to the high standards outlined in their “charter.” It is common to see charter schools led by former teachers who wanted to take the lessons they learned in the classroom and apply those lessons to an entire school. Each of the more than 7,000 charter schools [...]

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN SELECTING A SCHOOL As you begin exploring schools for your child, you begin to realize that you have dozens of options. And they are all a little different. Start with a very basic strategy, a game plan if you will. Let's look at what really matters when it comes to choosing a school for your child. 1. Consider your child and your family 2. Learn more about available schools 3. Visit and observe schools 4. Your child’s needs: physical, emotional and learning needs 5. Your child’s learning style 6. Location of the school

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN SELECTING A SCHOOLadmin2019-03-14T21:57:41+00:00

TEN THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN A SCHOOL! Choosing the right school for your child can be an overwhelming prospect. After all, the choices you make early on can have a significant impact later. Elementary schools often feed to particular middle schools, which in turn feed to particular high schools. And once one sibling starts down an educational path, subsequent siblings are likely to follow. With open enrollment available in some form in every state — and with an increasingly broad range of other school choice options — families have more educational decisions to make than ever before. 1. HIGH EXPECTATIONS 2. ENGAGEMENT AND BUSY [...]

This new coalition marks one of the first collaborative efforts among various stake holders and advocacy groups in the fight for school choice in Alabama. For more information, visit aaacoalition.com #SchoolChoice The #AAACoalition is made up of: Alabama Policy Institute Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund Scholarships for Kids, Inc. Alabama Christian Education Association American Federation for Children Black Alabamians for Education Business Council of Alabama C2 Opportunity Scholarships Catholic Education Partners Catholic Schools Office Diocese of Birmingham Cornerstone Schools of Alabama EdChoice ExcelinEd in Action Lincoln Academy Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Prichard Preparatory School

What Makes Your Child Tick Understanding your child’s behavioral style The 4 primary dimensions of behavior for youth: Direct and Active Interested and Lively Steady and Cooperative Concerned and Correct Direct and Active YOUR CHILD’S BEHAVIOR: These young people are competitive and want to win. They may challenge you with questions, want to know why the rules exist and demand your attention. YOUR REACTION: You may feel like you have lost control, don’t take this personally. TAKE ACTION: Respond to their questions by giving “real” answers. “D” children like things to move quickly and become impatient easily. They do [...]

Huntsville City Schools gets a C on state report card; improved overall score from last year HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Huntsville City Schools has four schools that received failing grades on the state’s report card. The district still received a C from the Alabama Department of Education, but their overall score improved by 7 points, moving from a 70 to 77. “We are continuously improving,” Christie Finley, Huntsville City Schools Superintendent, said. “That means we have to look at our data every day. It’s not waiting and then going back in to see what we can do differently. It’s looking at where we [...]

Huntsville City Schools gets a C on state report card; improved overall score from last yearadmin2019-01-03T20:51:17+00:00

Building a Win-Win with your child’s Teacher Step 1: PLAN THE BEST METHOD Demonstration: Write your child’s teacher a letter. Begin as soon as you can to get to know him or her. Waiting until the need for a parent/ teacher conference may be too late to make an encouraging impression with the teacher. Step 2: SET UP COMMON PARTICIPATION Let the teacher know that you are an involved and active parent. Detail in your letter what they can expect from you. Studies have shown that children with active parents who are engaged in their learning and have a relationship with [...]

Building a Win-Win with your child’s Teacheradmin2018-12-13T17:29:09+00:00

By Trisha Powell Crain | tcrain@al.com tcrain@al.com Though the Alabama Accountability Act has been around for five years now, little has been known about the students using the tax-credit scholarships other than their family’s income cannot exceed the threshold for a student to be eligible. Until now. While information on race and ethnicity of scholarship recipients is not required to be publicly reported, the state’s two largest scholarship granting organizations, the Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund and Scholarships for Kids, agreed to provide that information to AL.com to analyze who is benefiting from the program and where recipients are zoned to attend [...]

A+ was pleased to provide research support and consultation for Leadership Matters, the new report from the Business Education Alliance prepared by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama. As the report says in the Executive Summary: "Alabama public schools are producing more high school graduates, but more of them need to be graduating prepared for and connected to education and training beyond high school. Alabama's economy has the potential for impressive growth, but to capitalize on that potential, business and industry will need a new generation of better-educated Alabamians. To capitalize on this moment of opportunity for students and for Alabama's economy, creative and [...]